Bethesda E3 2016 Conference -Everything you need to know!

So E3 2016 is already in full swing, and we’ve yet to hear from some of the other heavy hitters with a presence at this years show, but one studio we have heard from is Bethesda with their press conference last night, and they brought with them some of the best games new know and love, as well as some new games we weren’t expecting. Unfortunately there was still no announcement of the Elder Scrolls VI (please E3 2017), but there was still a lot to be excited about, and a lot to look forward to over the next year or two from one of the best gaming studios and publishers working today.

First out of the gate for Bethesda this year was the announcement of a brand new Quake, ‘Quake Champions’. The CG trailer that was accompanied by it showed a variety of different heroes battling it out in an arena like environment, with a number of different weapons, abilities and play styles at their disposal. I’ve heard a number of different people worry that Quake has now went down the road of a free to play moba, but to me it sounded something akin to Overwatch, a number of different heroes that you can learn and take full advantage of in a first person capacity in a number of different arenas and locations. Not much more information was provided at the presentation last night, but more information will be provided at Quakecon in August.

Next up is a brand new Elder Scrolls game coming later this year! Unfortunately again it’s not the Elder Scrolls VI that everyone is hoping it would be, but a card based game similar to Hearthstone but with a fresh lick of Elder Scrolls paint over the top of it. Now I’m not the biggest card based gamer, I’ve tried Hearthstone and I did really like it, but it’s not something that completely grips me like other genres of video games, however I love the Elder Scrolls and will definitely be giving this a chance when it comes out later this year. The trailer we got was the opening cinematic for the campaign of the game, and for what it was it actually looked really pretty and quite intriguing. You can sign up for the beta now over at Bethesda.net, with the full game being released this fall.

What would a Bethesda E3 conference be without some sort of show from Fallout and main series Elder Scrolls? Tod Howard presented a video showcasing some of the new and upcoming DLC’s for Fallout 4 starting with ‘Contraptions’ that will be out next week, another smaller DLC similar to that of Wasteland Workshop. Next up is another smaller DLC, ‘Vault-Tec’, that allows players to build their very own vaults in their settlements to their liking. Imagine it to be Fallout Shelter inside Fallout 4, which looks pretty damn awesome. This will be released July 2016, which means I can deleted my build your own vault mod when that time comes. The final piece of DLC shown last night was teased to be the next big story expansions for Fallout 4; ‘Nuka World’, an amusement park based around the popular drink in the Fallout universe, teeming with new quests, NPCs, guns, armor, locations and sweet sweet Nuka Cola. This final piece of DLC will be released in August of this year.

There was also some announcement regarding Fallout: Shelter, with some massive updates, and an PC version coming later this year.

Now in regards to the Elder Scrolls, if Bethesda isn’t going to give us the Elder Scrolls VI this year, they’re giving us something else that we’ve been asking for, Skyrim remastered for current generation consoles. The game looks absolutely stunning, with updated textures and shaders, dynamic lighting, and now the ability to play mods on consoles similar to that of Fallout 4. The game may be 5 years old this year, but the main theme still gives me goosebumps, and the world definitely needs exploring again. Skyrim: Special Edition will be released this October.

Now this announcement was completely unexpected this year, at least for me, but a brand new, rebooted version of Prey was shown at last nights conference with this first cinematic trailer, which is absolutely stunning. I’ll admit, I never played the original Prey, and I don’t really know what the game is entirely about, but this trailer hooked me from beginning to end and got me so excited to try this for the first time. I know Prey has a massive following, and there must be a reason for that, which I can’t wait to find out when the game is released. There was unfortunately no release date given, but I can only imagine it will be at some point next year, with a lot more information and footage shown at E3 2017.

The new Doom that was released earlier this year was met with universal praise from gamers and critics alike all over the world, so Bethesda announced even more content coming for the game in the next few months. Although it was only multiplayer DLC that was announced last night, that is arguably the arena where the game is struggling the most, so it makes sense that Bethesda is focusing it’s efforts to make that experience better. There will be a tonne of free updates to multiplayer with new game modes and weapons, but that will also be followed by first fully paid, premium DLC package, that offers a lot of new maps, weapons, armor, and a new Demon.

Bethesda also announced that anyone can now download and play the first level of Doom for free starting right now if you haven’t already given this game a try.

Last but not least, Bethesda closed their presentation with a lot of time focusing on the new Dishonored 2 that will be released later this year. The game looks stunning, and follows the main story of the original Dishonored 15 years later. The game now offers a lot more ways in which to complete your mission, with new powers and weapons that were showcased last night that are absolutely mind blowing. This time round you also have the option to pick who you want to play as, which may alter the story or the way you play the game drastically. There was also come special and limited editions of the game announced that will more than likely sell out just as fast as Fallout 4’s Pip-Boy edition, and for a limited time when the game launches, all players will get a free copy of the definitive edition of the original Dishonored. The game will be released on November the 11th this year.

So there we have it folks, everything you need to know about Bethesda’s conference at this year’s E3. Again unfortunately there was no mention of The Elder Scrolls VI, which can only be coming next year, but there is still a lot to be excited about and a lot to look forward to this year and next. What are some of your favourite announcements of this years Bethesda conference, and what will you be picking up first? I personally can’t wait for Skyrim once again. Let me know in the comments below, or hit me up on Twitter.

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